Plasma conversion is our energy future

Wednesday

May 16, 2007 at 6:10 AM

What if someone came along with an industrial unit that would not only produce electricity, but recycle all our municipal solid waste and, as a waste byproduct, depending on the energy content of the trash, produce electricity, refined metals, and purified gases?

What if someone came along with an industrial unit that would not only produce electricity, but recycle all our municipal solid waste and, as a waste byproduct, depending on the energy content of the trash, produce electricity, refined metals, and purified gases?

It exists now. And it is not snake oil, either. The physics and chemistry work.

Putting our hopes and dreams in a wind farm in Nantucket Sound when global warming is causing the oceans to rise and storms are more violent than ever, in my mind, does not make sound business sense. It is labor-intensive and incurs huge preventive maintenance costs.

Plasma converters are at the heart of these industrial units. Plasma conversion is a process in which plasma at 30,000 degrees Fahrenheit is used to degrade wastes. The plasma provides an excess of electrons that chemically reduce complex compounds to their constituent elements.

Since the facility is completely automated, manpower is minimal. The cost to convert waste is cheaper. In other words, it is a cash cow and benefits everyone. It is truly a win-win situation. The Cape should consider this as an alternative to the engineering marvel that is proposed for Nantucket Sound. Check out www.howstuffworks.com.